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Movement Joints

of these publications, the expense of the resulting problems often is forced upon the tile contractor, as the tile contractor does have an obligation to advise or request clarification on the omission/ absence of such information from the design professional. Some architect/engineers have attempted to require the tile contractor to absorb the cost of movement provision when the omission was brought to their attention. In many instances the tile contractor has been held responsible for the cost of problems resulting from inadequate or no movement provisions. WHAT THE TILE CONTRACTOR SHOULD KNOW The recommendations of ANSI A108.01, ANSI A108.02 and the TCNA Handbook are intended to provide assistance to the architect/engineer in designing a movement accommodation system for tile installations. The TCNA Handbook has now clarified that intent with the following statements, “It is not the intent of this guide to make expansion joint recommendations for a specific project” and “Architects, builder, or design professional must specify movement joints and show location and details on drawings.” ANSI A108.01-2.1.5 also states, “Specifier shall specify and detail movement joints and show locations.”

Control, contraction, and expansion provisions are necessary in all construction to accommodate expansion and contraction movement of building materials that will inevitably occur. It is important that proper movement provisions be designed into the structure as well as tile assembly. The design and location of movement joint provisions must take into consideration the entire building movements and each building material’s unique movement and resistance to movement characteristics. Substrate movement, restraints to movement, temperature fluctuations, freeze/thaw conditions, and deflection are some of the factors that must be accommodated in the placement of movement joints related to tile installations. The tile industry, through ANSI A108.01 and A108.02 and the TCNA Handbook , has taken steps to assist architects and engineers in providing movement provisions for tile installations. The general recommendations of these publications have often been used by reference to transfer the responsibility of movement accommodation to the tile contractor, however, only the architect/engineer has adequate knowledge to design the movement system for a particular building.

Although the statement, “The Architect must specify expansion joints and show location and detail on drawing,” appears in each

Photo courtesy of NTCA Five-Star Member Christian Brothers Flooring & Interiors NTCA Five-Star Project of the Year Commercial Grand Prize Award 22 Chapter 1 | Pre- and Post-Installation Considerations

NTCA Reference Manual | 2024 / 2025